Cancer Research and Innovation Award Funding Scheme 2025/26

Find out about Cancer Alliance funding opportunities.

Following the successful launch of the Cancer Innovation Grants last year, Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance is pleased to announce a further round of funding opportunities - subject to the approval of funding from NHS England.

The renamed Cancer Research and Innovation Award Funding Scheme, which widens the scope of funding to include research projects in 2025/26, has been created in collaboration with the Cancer Alliance’s local partners:

  • Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber
  • Innovation, Research and Improvement System (IRIS)
  • NHS Humber Health Partnership
  • York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
  • Voluntary and community sector
  • Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance Patient and Public Representatives
  • Academic partners

“We are delighted to announce not only another opportunity to help fund our local culture of cancer innovation, but we may now also discover some fascinating research concepts that could be utilised to improve cancer services.”
- Mr Kartikae Grover, Clinical Director of Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance

  • For more information on research award funding, read our guidance here. Then, click here to apply for a research award
  • Click here for innovation award funding guidance, and then here for the innovation award application form

What is the Cancer Research and Innovation Award Funding Scheme?

The Cancer Research and Innovation Award Funding Scheme forms part of the Cancer Alliance’s aim to build a culture of cutting-edge cancer innovations and research, essential to improving:

  • early diagnosis
  • treatment
  • recovery
  • patient experience

The Cancer Alliance encourages all system stakeholders to initiate, identify and develop proposals for research and innovation, and to adopt evidence-based innovative approaches that can help earlier and faster diagnosis and assist those living with cancer. All applications should particularly target local priorities for improvement.

For more information on the Cancer Innovation Grant winners last year, click here.

Who can apply?

Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance welcomes applications from:

  • Primary and secondary care organisations
  • Patients
  • Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs)
  • Academic institutions
  • Wider system stakeholders – e.g. social care organisations

Collaboration is encouraged across organisations and sectors.

What are the funding priorities?

The Cancer Research and Innovation Award Funding Scheme is a non-recurrent, revenue financial scheme that promotes research and innovation in cancer care, to improve earlier and faster diagnosis and patient experience, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan.

The Cancer Alliance is particularly keen to receive applications that are in line with NHS cancer national planning guidance, that:

  • Have a focus on (but not exclusive to) tumour sites with the highest volume of late-stage diagnoses in the Humber and North Yorkshire region.
  • Target the 20% most deprived populations (Core 20plus) who experience health inequalities, including inclusion health groups.

More information

Awards will be funded to a maximum of £50,000. 

Applications open – Monday, 17th March. 

Please note that the Cancer Alliance will be holding an online drop-in session on Thursday, 3rd April, 12:25pm to 1:00pm. Prospective applicants will be able to learn more about the application process. Please click here to join the call.

Applications close – Friday, 9th May.